Entertainment Center

Malls, theaters, restaurants and outdoor recreation sites could replace 100 acres of woods at the Coliseum exit of Interstate 64 under a rezoning package endorsed Monday by Hampton's Planning Commission. The commission approved partial rezoning of the coveted quadrant and appears poised to finish the job next month. Eyed by private developers and city officials alike for its commercial potential, the area's size, visibility and access make it the last significant undeveloped land along Mercury Boulevard.

Don't want to drive home after a night at the retail and entertainment center? You might not have to. Folks visiting the Power Plant will soon have a place to crash for the night, after two major hotel chains announced plans to settle in across the street from the high-profile retail and entertainment center. The two hotels -- a Hilton Garden Inn and a SpringHill Suites Marriott -- are expected to go up right next to each other and open in the fall of 2007, with a total of 270 rooms.

Obstacles loom for an entertainment center in York County, but officials say the developers are on the right track. Traffic backups and shopping congestion appear to be two of the biggest obstacles in the way of a massive new retail center planned for 230 acres near Water Country USA. The 760,000 square foot retail and entertainment center would be at the intersection of Route 199 and Interstate 64. How traffic would handle the influx...

Obstacles loom for an entertainment center in York County, but officials say the developers are on the right track. Traffic backups and shopping congestion appear to be two of the biggest obstacles in the way of a massive new retail center planned for 230 acres near Water Country USA. The 760,000 square foot retail and entertainment center would be at the intersection of Route 199 and Interstate 64. How traffic would handle the influx...

This rustic, waterfront home is located at 3 Lyons Creek in Poquoson. Setting: The property is more than an acre of wooded privacy that overlooks Lyons Creek. The large screened porch offers solitude amid a view of the natural surroundings. A shared dock is outfitted with electricity and water. Price tag: $359,500. Listing agent: Pat Ward, Coldwell Banker Suburban Realty Basics: Just under 4,000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths. Also formal living and dining rooms; kitchen with deluxe appliances, including double ovens and trash compactor; and adjoining family room with wide-plank, oak floors.

Setting: 32 Bay Front Place is located in Hampton. Price: $620,000 Listing agent: Sandy White, Long and Foster Realtors, 886-1900. Basics: Approximately 3,650 square feet, three bedrooms and 21/2 baths. This custom built home is located on an elevated lot overlooking the Chesapeake Bay and includes recessed lighting, security system, second level utility room, two-car attached garage, professionally landscaped yard with in-ground sprinkler and trek decking. Other features of this home include built-in sound system and Pella clad insulated windows.

Michael Helmick and Scott Ginter have joined the new car sales staff at Bowditch Ford in Newport News, says new car sales manager Dennis Cozzens. Cozzens also reports that Bowditch Ford has the new Ford Contour available. Take a look a Ford's newest model, which replaces the Tempo. It includes such standard features as dual airbags and antilock brakes. Stop by for a test drive. Henry Ayer, president of Merrimac Motors in Hampton, announces the arrival of a shipment of new Plymouth Cross-Country minivans from Glaval Corporation.

Don't count on any discussion about it tonight, but City Council members are expected to vote - a bit reluctantly in some cases - to hire a consultant to help develop an entertainment center at the Mercury Boulevard interchange of Interstate 64. A few council members are bothered that only one firm responded to the city's ad, and they wonder why city officials advertised only in the Daily Press and not in national publications that might have...

A partner in Hampton's Interstate 64 retail- entertainment center is defending itself in a class action lawsuit for funneling money to some of its executives. Officials from Hampton and the other project partner, The Cordish Co., said JDN's troubles should not have any impact. "Not as far as moving forward" is concerned, Kathy Grook, Hampton Retail Development director, said Thursday. JDN officials did not return telephone calls. JDN and Cordish are joining forces to build a shopping, restaurant and entertainment center west of I-64 at Mercury Boulevard.

In Hampton 2 Spencers plus 1 Gilliland equals 3 winners Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the Hampton City Council, and the campaign they have been involved in has focused on two economic development projects in the city: the Crossroads convention center and the Power Plant retail/entertainment center. Whether and how those projects move forward depends, ultimately, on decisions yet to be made -- though they will be made soon. So even though there are other important issues for Hampton voters to consider, many of them will probably go to the polls Tuesday weighing their votes to some extent on their perception of how the city's leadership is handling the two projects.

Setting: 32 Bay Front Place is located in Hampton. Price: $620,000 Listing agent: Sandy White, Long and Foster Realtors, 886-1900. Basics: Approximately 3,650 square feet, three bedrooms and 21/2 baths. This custom built home is located on an elevated lot overlooking the Chesapeake Bay and includes recessed lighting, security system, second level utility room, two-car attached garage, professionally landscaped yard with in-ground sprinkler and trek decking. Other features of this home include built-in sound system and Pella clad insulated windows.

David Cordish's slip-on dress shoes rap the wood floors of his offices atop his company's signature Power Plant entertainment center. The knocking signals Cordish is on his way to another meeting. He is a man on the move, in perpetual motion. Hampton is among several cities along for the ride. The city hired him last year to build an "urban entertainment center." The center marries upscale retail stores to flashy, entertainment-based restaurants and shops. He preaches the gospel of public-private partnerships, exalts the virtues of athletics and playing by the rules, and is fueled by the never- ending challenges his business presents.

A partner in Hampton's Interstate 64 retail- entertainment center is defending itself in a class action lawsuit for funneling money to some of its executives. Officials from Hampton and the other project partner, The Cordish Co., said JDN's troubles should not have any impact. "Not as far as moving forward" is concerned, Kathy Grook, Hampton Retail Development director, said Thursday. JDN officials did not return telephone calls. JDN and Cordish are joining forces to build a shopping, restaurant and entertainment center west of I-64 at Mercury Boulevard.

Hampton schools will get much needed improvements, the groundwork will be laid for a new shopping complex near Interstate 64 and the city will build a new office building with a multi- million-dollar bond issue approved by the city council Wednesday. Council members voted 6-0 with one abstention to sell up to $71.5 million in bonds to fund several projects, from rehabbing Phoebus' American Theater to upgrading the Virginia Air & Space Center. Included is $17.5 million to energize the "Power Plant of Hampton Roads" entertainment and shopping complex at Mercury Boulevard and I-64.

For more than a year, Hampton has told people living on the site of a proposed glitzy retail and entertainment complex they wouldn't be forced out. The City Council Wednesday voted 5-2 to permit condemning, if necessary, a handful of businesses, vacant lots and possibly an apartment building on land needed for the $129 million project. Specifically, the condemnation process was approved for acquiring property needed for widening Queen Street south of Mercury Boulevard, a part of the project.

A national hotel and casino mogul and 10 local investors hope to invest $192 million in a downtown riverboat gambling complex - the largest Newport News casino plan released to date. Christopher B. Hemmeter and his limited partners this week became the most recent of the six companies vying to operate in the city to unveil their plans to the public. The project, by Newport News Riverboat Venture L.P., would turn the waterfront area near Victory Arch into a tourist destination, with more than 50 buses daily traveling here from more than 150 miles away, Hemmeter said.

Don't want to drive home after a night at the retail and entertainment center? You might not have to. Folks visiting the Power Plant will soon have a place to crash for the night, after two major hotel chains announced plans to settle in across the street from the high-profile retail and entertainment center. The two hotels -- a Hilton Garden Inn and a SpringHill Suites Marriott -- are expected to go up right next to each other and open in the fall of 2007, with a total of 270 rooms.

Don't count on any discussion about it tonight, but City Council members are expected to vote - a bit reluctantly in some cases - to hire a consultant to help develop an entertainment center at the Mercury Boulevard interchange of Interstate 64. A few council members are bothered that only one firm responded to the city's ad, and they wonder why city officials advertised only in the Daily Press and not in national publications that might have...

Malls, theaters, restaurants and outdoor recreation sites could replace 100 acres of woods at the Coliseum exit of Interstate 64 under a rezoning package endorsed Monday by Hampton's Planning Commission. The commission approved partial rezoning of the coveted quadrant and appears poised to finish the job next month. Eyed by private developers and city officials alike for its commercial potential, the area's size, visibility and access make it the last significant undeveloped land along Mercury Boulevard.